Week 3 - Could the future of fashion be driven by "Conscious" choices?

In the next chapter, we delve into part three called, "You Choose: The Future of Fashion Will Be...".  Our journey begins with the first concept called "Conscious.".

To anyone new - Welcome :)

This weeks questions:

1. Is it conceivable for the fashion industry to be guided by principles aligning the value of garments with both environmental and cultural significance? For instance, adopting a "polluter pays" approach could incentivize brands to explore more sustainable and low-waste manufacturing options.

2. Who do you think make up the fashion socially conscious consumers? (Young? Educated? Affluent?) 
3. Lets discuss the problem with the words like “Sustainability” Pg 48-49 and the problem of green washing such as; 

• H&M’s 2019 "Conscious Exclusive Collection"  ( 53- 55 ).
• Boohoo appointing K. Kardashian as its "Sustainability Ambassador" P55.

4. Brands linked to toxic waste from “brick kilns”. Should they be held responsible? How?  Or do we change the mindset to they are not the enemy? and accept that it is the system that’s broken ? And is that our responsibility as consumers to fix it? (Just yes or no as we will dig deeper on this in question 7)
5. Can the HIGG Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) help customers be more conscious in their purchases  - Or is it just a tool for big business to manipulate customer trust ( eg H&M example pg 55) ? Click on this link to know more about the Higg MSI .

 

6. Quote: "Perhaps we need to dig deeper? Spreadsheets and pretty words won't save us. We need to ask different questions." - Clare Press


7.Could a Buddhist economics model, be the answer? 

We recommend reading the following blog to understand this concept better: Buddhist Economics: A Practical Approach To Master Our Global Crisis by Julia Culen

8. Bandana says that if more of us knew and understood the significance of certain textiles and crafts we would have a deeper relationship with what we wear. she tells us to look up the process of Patola (double Ikat). Lets do it ! Click here to see a YouTube of the the process. Does it help you see the value of it?

9. Can you see the cloud in a piece of paper? What do you see with what you are wearing? pg 599. 

10. Mahatma Gandhi's relationship went from suits to Khadi. Do you think it was Ghandi's "search for satorial integrity"?  Clare recommends us to watch the TED talk titled "What Ghandi can teach us about slow fashion' by Bandana.

Note: Sartorial Integrity” and refers to a state in which an individual’s moral well-being affects the way they dress and present themselves to others. 

11. So, could the future of conscious fashion begin not with clothes at all, but with washing off the negativity and reconnecting with Nature? Could it be as simple - and profound - as that? 

12. How can we become more connected to what we wear? How can we find a deeper meaning, to everything - including our clothes?   

Next week: we will be discussing "Fair" p - 67-82  

The next meeting will be Sunday 28th Jan at the 16 Footers @ The Cafe - 2:30pm. No booking required. Just come if you want to discuss "Conscious" and "Fair" Chapters.